Rotary switches in motor vehicles for the selection of particular functions, such as for example light functions (high beams, low beams, parking light etc.) are generally constructed as rotary knobs with a projecting grip part. Such rotary knobs are usually arranged in an operating panel on the dashboard. The rotary knobs are provided with a marking which is manually directed to a symbol corresponding to the desired function. Further, rotary switches are known having a rotatable outer ring. Such rotary switches are used, for example, in operating panels of air-conditioning systems. The rotary movement of the outer ring is transferred via toothed wheels to a switching unit or a contact unit. Such a construction requires a high number of parts and leads to high cumulative tolerances.
It is an object of the invention to provide a small-sized rotary switch with reduced cumulative tolerances.